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Archiver > APG > 2003-09 > 1063632101


From: "Elissa Scalise Powell, CGRS" <>
Subject: RE: [APG] Allen County, Indiana Vital Records
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 09:21:41 -0400
In-Reply-To: <001a01c37b50$12ac7cc0$0200a8c0@mommie>


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Daena [mailto:]
<snipped>
> I wonder how many Mathias Monpere/Momper's died on the 9th of Feb 1909 in
> Fort Wayne, Indiana, that would make the requested document so incredibly
> difficult to find? I have to wonder, if this is a case of not
understanding
> the possibility of variations of name spellings, or plain old
> fashion greed.
>
> The argument of tightened budgets and "letter-of-the-law" excuses are just
> that, excuses. At the same time I requested a death certificate from an
> adjoining county in Indiana, a shot in the dark as it was, and the dear,
> sweet, kind, thoughtful lady in the clerk's office called me,
> long distance,
> and said that she couldn't find that first named, but maybe
> someone one else
> on the list of similar surnames could be a relative. She read
> them all to me
> on the phone! And she returned my check! <sigh>
>
> OK, I'm off the soap box. Thank you for the input.

Daena,
I had two thoughts while reading our post. A possibility of why the clerk
did not recognize the similar names with the same death dates is that they
are filed or indexed alphabetically and not chronologically, and could
conceivably be file drawers apart. Also in this age of theft identity, etc.
perhaps they do not want to err on the side of sending out the wrong
certificate to the wrong party.

My other thought is that with your wonderful experience with the very nice
lady in the neighboring county and with the clerk who did his/her job but
did not go the "extra mile" for you, it all works out in the end. We
certainly cannot expect to have the extra nice clerk in every county, but
maybe that is the universe's way of evening things up for when we encounter
those just doing their job?

Best wishes,
Elissa


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